Old 08-23-10 | 02:32 PM
  #27  
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CliftonGK1
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Joined: Jul 2006
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From: Columbus, OH

Bikes: '08 Surly Cross-Check, 2011 Redline Conquest Pro, 2012 Spesh FSR Comp EVO, 2015 Trek Domane 6.2 disc

Originally Posted by lumpynose
Sorry for the late response; I'm still in the market for a handlebar bag. Could you make some suggestions?

Thanks
Yeah, no problem. Mind you, these aren't really "commuter" suggestions so much as rando/fast touring bags. Sure, they're strong enough for daily commuting use; but price-wise they're not all the most economical solutions.

Gilles Berthoud front bags are awesome. Classic canvas/leather construction, available with either elastic loop or buckle closures, lots of pockets and sizes 9/10/12 liter capacity, clear map case on top, and with a decaleur they're solid connecting and easy to remove when you're off the bike; some models available with Klik Flix (sp?) mounting. They're pricey, though, at $225 and up.

Velo Orange makes a 9L equivalent to the classic Berthoud. Similar construction and design, high quality and half the cost. I've seen them on a couple of the local rando bikes, and the riders haven't got any complaints with them. If you only need the 9L capacity, it's a good buy at around $110.

Guu Watanabe bags are superfly. Buckles, clasps, all hand-sewn custom construction, colour and pattern choices, no-holds-barred. Of course, you'll have to drop $460 for a basic model, and custom features can skyrocket that cost to nearly $600.

For the econo-jam version of any of these: My first frontbag was a Nashbar Elite cordura model that I bought for under $25 on sale. I modified it with $5.00 worth of parts from Home Depot, and turned it from an unstable bag that clipped to a handlebar mount, into a solid bag which sat on the infamous $7.00 Nashbar front rack. Under $40.00 total, and it worked well for my first brevet season and many, many commuting miles. Drawback is that it's a zipper closure which is tough to work when you drop it onto a front rack, and the capacity is only 6.8L
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